AuthorTopic: Ok, maybe not Berlin but...... (Read 8815 times)

JDouglasFisher

Alright, after doing some more independant research, my feeling about the Berlin area (especially the east side) is that its a rough town...

Now look, I grew up in poor towns, but if its as bad as some say, hell, I'll move to Elizabeth, NJ then...

I don't want to have to bloody my knuckles just to go to work in the morning...

Berlin is deffinately on the "to see" list, but I was thinking, Lancaster? What are some of the other larger towns in the North Country?

I definitely want to stay in Coos County because I like the cooler climates (winter time in NJ, I run around in a sweatshirt most days, summertime I just die from the heat...) Its the Kuban Cossack bloodline that allows me to do very well in cold climates, unfortunately, anything over 60 degrees, and I start overheating..

I was looking at Google Maps of both Berlin and Lancaster. Berlin seems more "citylike" (and I am accustomed to towing in that environment very well) but at the same time, I am looking for a place where I can leave my doors unlocked at night (like NW PA was..)

Crime in Berlin is well below average. It is also very inexpensive to live in Berlin and I found the people nice. I am not suggesting anyone move there, though. The town right below it is nice and has a Wal-Mart that appears to be in Berlin.http://www.city-data.com/city/Berlin-New-Hampshire.html

Berlin and Gorham are practically one city, even though they're different municipalities. Milan doesn't have much of a village area; it's mostly rural, but it's a nice area and pretty cheap. Lancaster is a beautiful town, with a nice compact village (but not too tight, like Berlin is).

The village of Groveton (town of Northumberland) has cheap housing, and good access to Lancaster, Stratford and Stark.

Berlin has high crime in some areas- high drug and alcohol abuse, high domestic abuse, and a large amount of other crimes. Cost of living is quite high (not low) because there is no business competition. Get used to shopping at the very small local WalMart, which is nothing like most Wal Marts. The cost of most items is very high- used cars are extremely high because they don't last long (At 10 years old, many are in the junk yard from rust), auto repairs are frequent and expensive (rusted lines, rusted fuel tanks, rusted brake components, rusted floors...you get the idea), and general household supplies are high. We don't have any chain stores like Circuit City, or discount places like Sam's Club. We usually try to make a trip to Concord every few weeks to stock up on supplies at Sam's Club. Even with the high gas prices, we save a ton of money over the local stores.

If you want northern N.H., stick a little further south, like the Plymouth area. Its still rural, yet close enough to Tilton and Concord to stock up on supplies without spending a whole day out of town. There are also rural towns not too far from Concord that give the country life without being in a wasteland like Berlin.

The problem with most of the towns mentioned in other posts is that they all rely on Berlin for shopping or employment. Littleton is getting better, and is far enough from Berlin that its not affected by the Berlin problems very much. Employment is getting better, with more businesses opening up. Berlin, on the other hand, is a dieing city. If I hadn't gotten married while here, and now have my wife's family up here, I'd be gone in a heartbeat.

shadeau

Get used to shopping at the very small local WalMart, which is nothing like most Wal Marts.

Just had to correct you on this one. Gorham has built a new Wal-Mart close to the old location, it is huge! One of the biggest ones I've ever seen.

I grew up on the Gorham/Berlin border and have to say, I'd never move to Berlin. The economy is terrible, the biggest employer (pulp mill) has shut down and they are considering building yet another prison (this would be the second). Gorham is doing a bit better, but still hurting due to the fact that Gorham's pop is ~3,500 and alot of buisnesses depended on berlin's "wealth" to operate.

I'm currently living in the Conway area playing in two bands. Conway and N. Conway is a tourism hot-spot and can become very congested in the summer but has more of a nightlife than the sourrounding towns.

As another poster said, plymouth/holderness area is nice. And with Plymouth University there should be a good number of Liberty minded individuals on hand.

I was really thinking about Berlin, the housing up there are actual HOMES and they go for under $100k.

But then I looked at their website, and saw a FYI about abandoned/burned down buildings and how many residents want to just "eminent domain" them

what was worse was that the town answered questions like "we know we know they look horrible, but those stupid laws stop us from taking them by force!"

I don't like that one bit. Isn't there just a place where I can live and not be harassed? Where I can pray that I not have my house taken away because someone else finds it "visually unappealing"

sad I would love to move up north and start over, shedding my masshole robes, but everywhere I look seems to be yet another small town authoritarian regime. Berlin seems to have an identity crisis, land is cheap because no one wants to live in a city where there is no work. . .but town rules stop people from moving in to create business. I had found a home with an attached Hair Salon, but with all the bureaucracy with trying to get a salon license my girlfriend doesn't even want to go about all that.

I suggest going without a salon license, and she doesn't want to risk it yet.

Wasn't Berlin where they had (have?) a federal experiment where they posted big brother style monitoring cameras all over public places? Supperman was planning a dramatic protest of those at one point that seems to have fallen through.